Headaches/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim lies in his bed with a cold compress on his forehead. He strains to speak. TIM: Ohhh, make the pain go away. Moby carries a tray of small needles to Tim's bedside. Moby holds up some needles. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Don't come near me with those. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, what are headaches? Sincerely, Jack. Well, headaches are exactly what they sound like... a pain that you feel in your head. But it's not your brain that's feeling pain. MOBY: Beep. Moby holds up a model of a human brain. TIM: See, the brain has lots of neurons, which are tiny cells throughout your body that help it think, move, and feel. An image shows a human brain inside of a silhouette of a head. An image illustrates the neurons, and symbols represent thinking, running, and smiling. TIM: But unlike the nerves in the rest of the body, neurons in the brain don't have pain receptors. So when you get a headache, the pain actually comes from your head, face, or neck. An image shows muscles inside a human face and neck, and part of a skull. Arrows point to the areas Tim names. TIM: Neurons in these areas send electrical impulses to your brain along long, threadlike projections called nerve fibers. An animation illustrates electrical impulses traveling through nerve fibers. TIM: When your brain receives these impulses, it tells your body where you're hurting. An animation shows a bare foot stubbing its toe on a rock. Electrical impulses send pain from the toe to the person's brain. PERSON: D'oh! The person reacts to the pain of stubbing his toe. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the truth is, there are many different types of headaches, with many different causes. Most of them fall into one of two main categories. Muscular, or myogenic, headaches happen when the muscles of your face or neck tighten or squeeze too hard. An image shows muscles in a human face. An animation shows a close-up of a muscle tightening. TIM: And vascular headaches are caused by the swelling of blood vessels in the head and scalp. An animation illustrates swelling of blood vessels. TIM: The most common myogenic headache is the tension-type headache. Actually, this is the most common type, period. Almost 90 percent of all headaches are tension-type headaches. They can be caused by things like bad posture. An image shows a woman slumped forward while sitting at her desk, using her computer. A red circle shows stress she creates at the back of her neck. TIM: And stress, which causes some people to grind their teeth by clenching their jaw muscles over and over. An animation shows someone's teeth grinding together. TIM: Tension-type headaches can also be just another symptom of an illness like the flu or the common cold. An image shows a boy in bed with a thermometer in his mouth. TIM: The pain is usually dull and constant and can come from your neck, your forehead, or between your eyes. An animation shows a man's face. There are pulsating circles behind his head that represent pain. Arrows point to the areas on his head that Tim describes. TIM: It feels almost like someone is slowly squeezing your head. An animation shows a vice squeezing the model of a brain. TIM: But it's usually not as bad as what you feel with a migraine, the most common type of vascular headache. About one in every nine Americans has suffered from this painful condition at least once. A U.S. map is overlaid with eight smiling faces and one frowning face. TIM: When you get a migraine, it feels like a sharp, throbbing pain in one area of your head. An animation shows a hammer banging on one spot of the model brain. Pulsating circles in the background represent a headache. TIM: Many people also feel nauseous, see strange visual images, and become more sensitive to bright light or loud sounds. Images illustrate a boy lying on the couch and clutching his stomach, as well as a boy closing his eyes in front of a bright television.. MOBY: Beep. Moby bangs a hammer on his head. TIM: Yeah, it's no fun. TIM: Just like tension headaches, migraines can be triggered by a number of different things, including strong odors, certain foods, not enough sleep, or even too much sun. Images illustrates the migraine triggers Tim describes. TIM: They also run in families. MOBY: Beep. TIM: No, no, it's not totally hopeless. Sometimes just putting a cool, moist cloth over your eyes or getting a good night's sleep will do the trick. Or if the headache is caused by something in your surroundings, just try to stay away from those things. An image shows a boy who has a headache. He runs away from a hot dog stand. TIM: And if that doesn't work, there's always over-the-counter pain medicines. You should check with your doctor to see which one is best for you. And if you have migraines, you may need stronger, prescription medicine. An image shows a box of pain killer caplets and a bottle of prescription pills. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, other than the temporary discomfort, most headaches are pretty harmless. But in rare cases, they can be warning signs of bigger problems, including serious diseases like brain tumors or meningitis. That's an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Sinusitis, or inflammation of the sinuses, is another common cause of headaches. And a headache after hitting your head, especially if you play sports, can be a sign of a concussion, which is basically an injury to the brain. An animation shows a football player seeing stars and hearing a cuckoo clock when his head is hit by another player. TIM: If your headaches are especially painful, or if they don't go away, it's a good idea to check in with a doctor. And you should always see a doctor if you suspect you have a concussion. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Ooh, well, I'm glad robots can't get headaches. But you know what they can get? MOBY: Beep. TIM: Some ibuprofen, please? Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Health Transcripts